Fear the Night
by ShinigamiNoKitsune209
Summary: Inheritor of Caesar, Leader of the Tenth Legion, and only hope for humanity. Question is: is humanity worth saving? Can he find love? A Dictator, or an Emperor? Rated M for Mature. ALTERNATE UNIVERSE... and... female Sasuke? Also Minor crossover with Halo and DL. AND! Won't follow default personality. Rate & Review PLEASE!
1. Welcome to Hell

****Started on April 14, 2019| Philippines| 10:53 hours****

****Welcome to Hell****

Fires burn throughout the world. Smoke rises from destroyed cities. Sirens ring as the echoes of small arms fire race throughout the world. The world has been plunged into chaos, and no one could do anything to stop it, despite all the effort.

****===== One year prior to current time =====****

A woman walks through the halls of an underground basement at an undisclosed location. She wears a white lab coat and a pair of glasses. Her face was stern as she enters a dimly lit room.

"Doctor, I'm glad you've made it." A man in a suit says plainly, he stands at the center.

"What are you doing here?" the doctor asks. "I told you, we stopped our projects on-"

"If so then you would not mind me being here now would you." The man says calmly. "You can't lie to me doctor. I have people here who work for me."

"Who-"

"It matters little." The man waves her off. "What matters is that I see what happens to this new test subject of yours."

****===== Ten months prior to present =====****

In a cottage in the winter mountains of the United Kingdom isle, a family lies dead in their bed, blood splattered around the bedroom. Each of their heads have a bullet hole with their faces disfigured. The sound of the cottage door closing rings out as the news on a television in the main room of the cottage echoes.

__"... light of recent events, the United Nations have now stated that rumors of their new joint military force is indeed true. They are known as …"__

****===== Six months prior to present =====****

"The UNSCD, or United Nations Special Combat Division, is proud to present its first batch of graduates." An elderly man says with a smile as he stands on a podium overlooking ten battalions of men and women dressed in black combat uniform with nine of the battalions consisting of 480 men and women, and the first battalion consisting of 800. "Please, send a representative to give this class a message."

As one, the men and women cheer one name. It started out soft, but as one man moved through his class, the name became clearer. "..sar… sar… esar…" Finally, as his foot stepped on the first stair leading to the podium, the name rang out. "Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!"

The elderly man watches in awe as the young man approached him. "Caesar?"

The young man smiles. "It is, but a title." He then faces his fellow soldiers who grow quiet in attention. "Brothers and sisters, it has been an honour to have trained with you. It has also been an honour to be part of the first batch of graduates of this program. Let it be known that we have done so because of our training, our discipline, and our bond with one another. Indeed, we have our differences, be they faiths, sexuality, blood and nationality, and whatnot, but know now, as one family, as one Legion, we will never, ever, abandon each other. Until death do us part!"

His words echo throughout the crowd who reply, ****"Until death do us part!"****

****===== Five months prior to present =====****

A cafeteria is silent as all listen in on the news being broadcast on the televisions located every two or so columns around them.

__"With the threat of ISIS rising more than it already has, the United Nations have decided to send in their new branch known as the UNSCD to combat the growing threat. Speculation is still present on whether or not the UN have strayed from their mission. However, a representative of the newly founded UNSCD has come forth with a statement that brings about many more questions than answers ."__

__"I assure you, there are bigger threats on the rise, and the fact is that ISIS is simply a pawn in a much larger game."__

Murmuring echoes throughout the cafeteria before the door leading to and from the hall opens where a woman with a scar going down her face steps out and into the cafeteria hall. "Alright trainees, prepare for a briefing in two hours. And make sure you rest well. Graduation is a month from now and more like you will be in this facility once you've graduated. You need to be in-the-know with everything that's been going on around."

A girl mumbles, "great probably something pointless a-"

"Finish that statement and you're out of the program." A boy says sternly as he takes a seat across her. "You're lucky you're even here in the first place."

****===== Four months prior to present =====****

In a town in Syria, the night grows quiet as a full moon rises from one of the rocky cliffs overlooking the town. The cool night breeze blows throughout the town, yet no one in the town is outside their homes to enjoy it.

On the hill where the moon rises, the moon outlines a silhouette of a man on a horse who seems to be watching the town from afar. Slowly, another joins him, then another, until slowly the three go up to nine, with the first man being at the center.

The man raises his hand for but a moment, before bringing it down in one swift motion.

The back of the hills surrounding the town light up with soft flashes of light as the sound of thunder echoes. Shortly thereafter, the town erupts into flames. The flames rise and give off an orange glow, and then a man on the cliff beside the first raises what seems to be a war-horn of old, and, he places the horn to his lips.

What follows are a series of horn blows that echo throughout the town and the surrounding hills. From each of the hills then come the sound of thundering hooves, and the men on the cliff are nowhere to be seen.

****===== Three months prior to present =====****

"Caesar!" A man shouts as he enters a tent where a man stands overlooking a world map with highlights everywhere.

"Levi? What's going on?" The man known as Caesar asks.

"The news! Turn on the news!" Panic was in the man's voice, and the leader could only do as requested.

__"... president of the United States has condemned the UNSCD of being private military raised by the United Nations in their grab for world power. Russian, China, and Great Britain have similar condemnations on the UNSCD. This has brought an uproar among their population as the achievements of the UNSCD have been brought up by UNSCD sympathizers. The destruction of ISIS only two weeks ago were indded thanks to the UNSCD. Karla, your thoughts on the matter?"__

__"My thoughts won't matter much, John. What matters is that the big players of the United Nations have condemned a newly established branch that has helped wipe off the threat known as ISIS only weeks after the achievement."__

__"Well, we do have the person who proposed the project and establishment of the UNSCD in the first place, and we would like to hear his thoughts on the matter. Mister Kaligula,if you would please?"__

Caesar and the man known as Levi watch as the man known as Kaligula looks at them through the screen.

__"There are far greater threats to this world than just terrorists. Caesar, under UNSCD protocol of abandonment and backstabbing, commence Operation Black Light. Under no circumstances-"__

__"Shut it off! Shut it down! Stop the broadcast! Freeze! Kaligula stop!"__ the background noise says.

__"Until death do us part, my children!" __

Then, static.

Caesar's eyes narrow before turning to Levi. "Encrypted Morse Code, now. Transmit: Urgent. Operation Black Light. Acknowledge."

"Yes sir!" Levi says as he dashes off.

Caesar taps on the screen to show a man who looked much like the Kaligula earlier, but much younger.

__"Caesar. Good, you're still there. Father is stalling for you as much as he can, but it won't last long. They're already trying to get in this base. Where are you-"__

"You can't lie to me, Johannes." Caesar says with a stern gaze. "You planned all this, did you not?"

The man on the screen frowns before he smiles. __"You're far too clever for your own good, Michael."__

"You started the sickness!" The man, Caesar, also known as Michael, shouts. "No wonder your father never trusted you."

__"THAT BASTARD WOULD NEVER GIVE ME THE UNSCD!"__

"HE CREATED THE UNSCD TO STOP YOU YOU DUMB SHIT!"

The man on the screen takes a deep breath and tries to look as intimidating as possible. __"Alright Michael, you want a war? I'll give you a war."__ With that, he ended the call.

Michael clicks his tongue in annoyance before turning just in time to see Levi. "Levi, who do we have in charge of the Tenth Legion?"

****===== Two months prior to present =====****

__"Minato, I know it's a lot to ask, but you know he is the only hope humanity has. He is the only hope our legions have."__ Michael says from a monitor in a dark room.

Across the monitor is a blonde man who gives a look of serious thought. After a few minutes, he replies. "Very well, but ONLY if he accepts. Are we clear on that?"

__"That's all I can ask."__ Michael says with a stern expression before ending the call.

****===== One month prior to present =====****

"Naruto…" Minato says as he looks at his son who enters a tube. "When you wake, the world will be different. I-"

"I know, Tou-san" Naruto, an almost carbon copy of his father, says with a smile. "I'll find a way to make things work. I promise."

****===== Present =====****

Minato grunts as he clutches his arm and looks at the words on the computer.

__"Upload all files into Subjects 9 and 10, confirm?"__

A banging on the door was all Minato needed to press enter. A voice then rings out, "Sequence confirmed. Thank you for your talents, Minato Namikaze. Until death do us part."

****===== A/N =====****

****Alright, I'm back, I'm depressed, and I honesty have no idea how to a NaruSaku without going into a harem so that stuff is on hold? Do I feel guilty for being gone for so long? Fuck yes. Do I hate myself for it? Fuck yes.****

****I've been thinking of doing a rewrite on Phantom Master but just don't know how. I'm really sorry I can't continue it as of the moment. I just can't find a way to continue it. I didn't plan it out like Finding Love, nor did I have any emotional shit going on while writing it unlike with Finding Love so I'm sorry it isn't finished and that it isn't updated yet.****

****In fact, I'm working on a NaruSaku now, and already made three chapters. I just don't want to post it because what if I can't finish it again?****

****That said and done though, what did you think of this? It's a crossover with Naruto and HOTD, but also a bit of Halo nods. Another crossover will be joining us for the zombies, but that's a secret, although it should be pretty obvious around next chapter and from the title but… oh, too much hints? Got it, I'll go now.****

****Till next time!****

****===== (TBC) =====****

****Finished on April 15, 2019| Philippines| 05:54 hours****

****(Not yet proof read)****


	2. Wake Up

****Started on April 15, 2019| Philippines| 09:15 hours****

****Wake Up****

The lights flicker on and off inside a run down basement. At the center, a soft blue glow from a human-sized test tube is the only other source of illumination the room has.

A clang of a metal bucket echoes as the sound of shuffling feet echo along the hallways of the basement.

"Make sure to secure the room. I don't want any infected left alive." A woman says in a stern voice as a flashlight shines into the room where the test tube is.

"Yes commander." A man says as he and ten others enter the room. As the armed people clean up the room from any infected via suppressed gunfire and shots to the head, the man then turns to the woman. "Commander, are you sure it is wise to be doing this? This is the last base of the Legions."

"The Legions died when they fought us, soldier. We're simply a cleanup crew." The woman replies with a hint of disgust showing in her tone. Her eyes then catch sight of the glowing test tube and her curiosity was piqued. "Soldier, check that out." She motions to the test tube as some of her men keep their guns pointed to it as the one soldier who spoke for the group walks up to it.

"What is it?" One of the others asks.

"It looks like…" The man says with a pause before his eyes widen. "It's a man?"

"A human experiment?" The commander asks with her curiosity now greater than ever before.

"Seems like it." The man says. He looks over to her and asks, "Should we open it?"

The woman nods. "But be careful. We don't-"

The glass of the test tube shatters as a hand grabs the man's throat and lifts him up. Without warning, one the men moves to open fire regardless of the absence of orders, but that man soon finds a knife to his throat.

"Cortana, Lights!" The man from the tube shouts and in a blink, the lights burst open blinding the others. Not a moment later, the lights shut off blinding the occupants from the sudden change.

Twelve quick loud shots and one scream later, the man from the tube stands over the injured commander with a Spatha pointed at the woman's throat. "How long does it take for the rest of the infected in this basement to get here, I wonder." He muses to himself before smiling to the woman. "Just to make things clear, you said the Legions are gone, yes?"

"Th UNSCD put up a good fight if that's what you're asking." The woman says with a pained smile.

The man smiles. In a blur, he stabs a syringe in her making her scream.

"That makes you immune to the infection. We perfected the vaccine just in time, but… well, to put simply? The UNSCD was betrayed. The world betrayed us, betrayed Caesar… betrayed me." He says now in a dead-serious tone that sent chills through her heart. "Let's see how you like getting eaten alive; after all…" he pauses as a screen behind him lights up to show a silent footage of Caesar being eaten alive by the infected. "You did the same to Caesar… to my cousin Michael. It's time I return the favour."

The sound of growling catches the attention of both and the man just smiles.

A small blue hologram of an attractive woman then pops up beside him. "Naruto, I have to warn you, your actions were reckless and there are a hundred of those things on this level alone."

"How many on the surface?" The man, Naruto, asks as the lights turn back on.

"Enough… they took care of most of them on their way here but…"

Naruto nods. "Got it. We have some ways to travel to get my gear. You up for that?"

"Not like it will do me any good being stuck here with no one to talk to." The woman says.

The blonde man smirks. "Alright, let's go." He says but looks around for a moment and sees the dead bodies and the injured commander. "And Cortana?"

"What is it?"

"Thanks…"

"... You're welcome…"

****===== Outside =====****

Two Humvee pull up the entrance of the building Naruto is in, each with a mounted 50 caliber. On their sides, back, and front is the symbol of the Roman Eagle. The gunners aim their guns at the door to the building in anticipation.

The door bursts but the control of the gunners surpasses their instincts to shoot.

Out then steps a foot, then another, until finally Naruto is revealed.

"To think Caesar left you as his legacy." A man wearing a gasmask says as he steps out from one of the Humvee.

Naruto smiles. "I heard you all died."

"Not all." The man replies and removes his gasmask. "Only three legions remain, but only the Tenth is loyal to you, Namikaze. Not that the two matter seeing as they betrayed us."

Naruto nods with a grim smile. "What is your name, legionary?"

"I am an Uchiha, nothing more. I serve the legion as Scipio. What may I address you as, sir…?"

The blonde smiles. "Let the world know that Caesar lives. Caesar… Augustus."

****===== TBC =====****

****Finished on April 15, 2019| Philippine| 19:26 hours****

****(Not yet proofread)****


	3. Rebuilding My Legion

****Started on April 15, 2019| Philippines| 20:44 hours****

****Rated M for Mature.****

****Warning: Naruto-centric.****

****IMPORTANT: The cover image I'm using belongs to it's rightful owner. I make no profit out of it (NO SHIT).****

****ALSO IMPORTANT: Killzone reference will be present because they look badass. Who? You'll see. Oh, wait… you really want me to spill? Okay, Helghast. Happy?****

****ALSO IMPORTANT AGAIN:****

****Fourth wall breaking is present. You've been warned. Trust me. Or not. Got scolded a few times before cause I apparently didn't do some good fourth wall breaking so hope I improved it now. Tell me how I did on this department. Dunno if I'll do it again anyway.****

****Legio X: Rebuild My Legion****

Naruto watches the forest from the back hood of one of the two humvees that arrived outside his last known location. Currently they are traveling to a location Naruto told them about, a place where they can find men and supplies to replenish, to rebuild their legion.

A man in the humvee Naruto is on opens his window and asks in a muffled tone as he and the rest still have their gasmask on, "So, how long do you think until we get there?"

The blonde man looks down at him with a raised brow. It was here that the man finally noticed his whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks.

"Those are some cool birthmarks by the way."

Naruto smiles. "Thanks. That aside, to answer your question?" He looks to the sky and is glad to see that the sun has yet to reach its peak, granted, when he got out of the building he honestly could not tell due to the smoke around him. He looks back at the man and says, "a few hours."

"Hey Scipio! Something's up ahead!" The gunner calls out. A short muffled reply of __"I see it"__ later and the humvees slows to a halt. Naruto turns his head in curiosity and what greets him is a sight he's only seen once before.

"What the fuck is that?" One of the men ask.

Naruto's eyes narrow. "Everyone stay inside." He orders as he drops down from the hood of the humvee and puts out his hand. "Gun." He says while his Spatha hangs on his left hip.

Scipio rolls down his window and hands Naruto a suppressed SCAR along with two extra mags.

The blonde man takes them and walks over to what made them stop; piles upon piles of decaying and mutilated bodies blocking the road. "Cortana, any idea what these are?"

__"If I had to guess? I'd say they're the ones that didn't turn and died due to being half-eaten alive."__

"My thoughts exactly, but why pile them up here?" Naruto muses before turning to the forests around him. "I've only seen this once before… let's get out of here." He says as he heads back to the others. Once reaching them, he says, "I want you prepared for any bandit attacks. We can't go into the forests. Bandits could be hiding there, or infected, and it's an unnecessary risk."

"So what do you suggest we do?" One of the men asks no one in particular.

"Blow it up." Scipio says with his stern face while his eyes change into their trademark three-tomoe sharingan. "I'll keep watch around the forest."

Two men nod and head off to set the charges while Naruto looks at the Uchiha in fascination. "I thought no one could unlock the sharingan anymore."

"It's a rare thing now…"

"I see." Naruto says in acknowledgement. He didn't have to push his questioning now; there would be a time and place for questions later.

"Charges are set." One of the two who went to set the charges says as he and the other one enter their humvee.

The blonde and the Uchiha nod with the blonde getting on the humvee he was on and the Uchiha rolling up his window.

"Once you blow up the charges, I want us heading to the other side as safely as possible while also going as fast as we can. I don't want any surprises." Naruto orders before looking at the Uchiha and nods. "NOW!"

BOOM!

The explosion was quick. The two humvees take off just in time to hear small arms fire from the forests.

"Don't worry sir, these vehicles are bulletproof." One man says with a smile as he watches from his closed window as bullets bounce off harmlessly.

"But not explosion-proof!" Naruto shouts and points to the treeline on the right. "RPG!"

The Uchiha's eyes widen before he swerves the vehicle out of the explosion's radius of destruction. The other humvee, however, is not as lucky. In the rear view mirror, the Uchiha sees that the humvee capsizes and flips throwing the machine gunner off.

"Don't look back and keep driving!" Naruto orders before he hears a thump and turns to see the machine gunner's body go limp. With a grunt, he throws the man off before taking over and he starts shooting. With every fifth round being a tracer round, Naruto manages to adjust his aim accordingly and takes down at least twenty bandits judging by the screams.

"Dammit!" The Uchiha shouts. His teeth are clenched while he steps on the gas and keeps his gear high.

"No wonder there were no infected roaming around." One of the other men says while rolling down his window. He pokes his head out to see how Naruto is doing and sees that the blonde man is using the SCAR instead of the 50 cal and switches from left to right and back to make sure there were no longer any nasty surprises.

"What's your name?" Naruto asks as he glances down at the man who poked his head out.

"They call me Kiba, sir. Kiba Inuzuka's the name."

"Inuzuka? From the tracker clan?"

"Well, yeah but… it's not much of a clan anymore." The man says.

"Remove your gasmask." Naruto orders while still keeping and eye out. "The virus never evolved into an airborne strain."

"No sir, but in case any infected come in close, I'm not that proficient in killing it to a point where blood won't get in my eyes or mouth."

Naruto glances down at him and raises a brow. "Who in your unit has been given the vaccine?"

"Only Sir Uchiha here, sir." Kiba replies before putting his head back in.

Naruto gives a 'tsk' before muttering in a whisper, __"Cortana, any chance we can reproduce the vaccine by using my blood?"__

__"Only if we have have the machines to do so where we're heading. Why?"__

__"You've read the files my father uploaded, did you not?"__

__"Some files were only sent to your brain. I still don't have permission to access them."__

__"I'm giving you permission."__

__"It doesn't-"__

__"Try it."__

__"Woah… okay, wow. You're not an AI, how did you do that?"__

__"Part cyborg. I was… let's just say a human experiment when I was far younger. The ninth of nine, and surprisingly all nine of us survived. Unfortunately, anyone else the program was tried on was unsuccessful."__

Cortana kept silent but Naruto saw her in deep thought before going to work on the files he allowed her access to.

The rest of the ride was silent. They were all on high alert because of what happened, but they knew that it was their fault for being far too lax earlier. It had cost them men, men they badly needed in their Legion. Nothing could change that loss.

Time passes and an old rundown warehouse comes into view from the humvee's stand point. The trees still surround the warehouse, granted, further than on those that suck close t the roads.

"Damn… it looks like a fucking bomb went off." Kiba says as he and the four others get out the humvee.

"It's still here." Naruto says with a smile.

"It looks caved in though." One of the four remaining soldiers say.

"That's the idea." Naruto replies as he strides to the front door. He opens it to show that instead of leading to the inside of the warehouse, it was a door that lead to stairs that headed down under ground.

"Woah…" Kiba says before he is smacked on the head by the Uchiha who follows after the blonde. "Asshole," the Inuzuka mutters.

The Uchiha simply shakes his head and continues to follow the blonde.

"Who's the best shot here?" Naruto asks as he stops right at the top of the stairs.

"That would be Neji." Kiba says.

Naruto turns and faces them before asking, "is he a Hyuuga?"

The man in question steps forward and places his right fist on his chest just above his heart. "Sir."

"Good, come here.." Naruto motions him with a wave of his hand. "See that tower over there at the back?" Neji nods allowing Naruto to continue. "Good. Set up a sniping position there." He turns to the only other person who he still knows nothing of. "And you? What are you good at?"

"Close-quarters combat sir, although they say I'm not too shabby with guns too." The last man replies.

Kiba nods. "It's true. Lee here is the best among all I've seen fight in close-quarters. Aside from sir Uchiha here at-"

"Scipio, Kiba." The Uchiha says. "I gave up my name a long time ago to become Scipio."

Naruto shakes his head. "I don't have time for this. As far as I'm concerned, Scipio was always a Nara. Speaking of which, what happened to Shikaku?"

The Uchiha looks at him with a grim look. "His last position in Russia went dark a few days ago. We sent five search teams to his last known location but… we've yet to receive word on any update…"

Naruto nods. "Okay, Lee?" He looks to the man who was motioned as Lee. "Stick with Neji. You take care of any infected that might get too close. The only way up hat tower is through the back and inside the warehouse. There is a possibility that some infected are inside. I trust both of you to make it up there and keep a lookout. Don't die on me."

Neji and Lee salute him with fists to their chests before they jog to the back.

"Kiba, stand guard here." Naruto says and raises his hand when he sees the man about to protest. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen… so are they actually." He says with a grumbling breath knowing where this was going.

Naruto nods. "Good. So am I. We all have responsibilities, regardless. Our communications won't work so," he motions to the wall on the inside an shows Kiba an intercom. "This is what can get us up-to-date on what's going on out here. This would have been easier with the other humvee, or if the gunner didn't get shot, but they're dead. It got a lot harder, but trust me." Here Naruto smiles. "Once I'm done here, we won't ever have to worry about lacking manpower again."

Kiba raises a brow. How could this… supposed Caesar of his know that with certainty?

Naruto turns and drags the Uchiha along with a tap on the shoulder. "You, you're coming with me. We have things to discuss on the way down."

The Uchiha nods with understanding.

As the two make their way down leaving the three to guard the top, Naruto mutters something under his breath allowing for a dim set of lights to light the way down the stairs before he continues on and speaks. "This will be a long walk, so I might as well ask what I can now."

"Understandable. What would you like to know?"

"As you are aware, Itachi Uchiha was the Uchiha closest to my father. He was trusted to a point where I called him brother."

"I am aware of that. I am guessing you are going to ask if he is alive?"

"Correct, but also where he is regardless."

"I see. Then yes, he is alive, but is currently seeking to restore the Second Legion."

"The Second Legion? How damaged is it?"

"Far better off than we are. They were stationed in Germany. They replaced the GSG 9 and were steadily gaining members from local applicants, some few foreign ones, but after a distress signal sent out from them, Itachi was sent along with the first cohort of of the Seventh Legion which was stationed France."

"The first cohort? 800 men?"

"Yes sir. When we were still affiliated with the UNSCD, we called them battalions."

"I know, and when we were betrayed, we went with the style of the Romans when Augustus Caesar was emperor."

"Yes, indeed. Though I must admit, sir, I find it intriguing that history seems to be repeating itself"

Naruto nods. "I can understand where you're coming from, on why my cousin was the first Caesar, and was betrayed, is that right?"

"Yes sir."

"And on how I am the supposed second Caesar through his will, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let me ask, who among you is willing to follow me simply because of a will?"

"Sir?"

"Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the adopted son of Gaius Julius Caesar. Do you honestly think men would simply follow him for being Caesar's successor when he was a nobody when compared to Mark Anthony, or even Julius Caesar?"

"No sir."

"Indeed, and people followed because he proved his worth to them. He proved himself, and let me tell you now, until I prove myself capable, I dare you never to call me Caesar unless you pledge your utmost loyalty to me."

"I shall ponder upon your words sir. If that is what you wish, then I shall see if I shall indeed pledge my loyalty to you."

"Good man." Naruto says casually before he stops. "What do you know of Project Cortana?" He asks before he continues his walk down the ever descending stairs.

"Project Cortana, sir?"

"Yes, Project Cortana."

"Not much. I simply heard it was some sort of new AI project. Why?"

"That's good. That means you may be in for a surprise."

"I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to. Simply inquiring upon the things the outside world knows. I, for example, know that I've been on ice for nearly three months. I must congratulate the legions for holding out for as long as they have without my cousin."

"Is that a compliment sir?"

"Take it as you will."

"Very well… may I ask a question sir?"

"Speak freely."

"Why… how… I thought you were more outgoing and happy than what you're showing me now."

"Ah, yes, that does tend to happen from time to time especially after a ton of things get uploaded into your head."

"Uploaded?"

Naruto pauses. "What do you know of Project Jinchuriki?"

"Sir?"

"Did you even hear of Project Jinchuriki?"

"No…"

"I see, guess I'll have to save that line of questioning for someone else then." He says before continuing on down the stairs.

"Sir, how much longer? It is getting rather disturbing to see that this passage is yet to end."

"That may be so, but this is the only immediate access to the rooms I require. Anywhere else and we'll have a horde surrounding us."

"Uh…"

"Let me put it this way. Around us, right now, are walls separating us from the rest of the underground complex. Only the last three levels have been untouched which is good. Those are the levels that matter most."

"How… how would you know that sir?"

"Project Cortana was an AI project that was special above all others. It did not matter who, where, or the motives of the scientists. We needed an AI far superior than any other that was made or could be made. There were risks of some computer scientists sabotaging the code, so of course, we went through extreme measures to create the perfect AI. It came to the point were we had our own men working with the scientists. It put pressure on them even though we told them not to rush simply because each man we had with them… well… you'll see when we get to the bottom."

"I don't-"

"Speaking of which, we're here." Naruto says and stops before knocking on the wall to his right twice and the further stairs bellow him rise up and create a flat floor before the wall to his right slides open. "Any further and you'd have fallen through to an empty pocket of darkness before the heat surrounding you would cook you slowly if you didn't hit the bedrock bellow first."

The Uchiha swallows his spit and follows Naruto through to the hidden room. What greets him shocks him to no end. "These are-"

"Indeed."

****===== On the surface outside the complex =====****

Neji's eyes narrow as he notices a sudden change in the atmosphere. At first he could not place it, but then Kiba asks over the radio, __"I uh… guys? You hear something?"__

Lee who is beside Neji replies, "I don't."

Neji's eyes widen in realization. "Exactly. Everyone, guns ready." He says and watches the trees before muffled screams echo. At first they were unclear, but as the rustling of leaves can be heard, they get clearer and clearer.

**__**"Help me!"**__**

**__**"End this! Please!"**__**

**__**"RUN!"**__**

**__**"Kill me!"**__**

"Virals! Kiba! Virals!" Neji shouts in horror to his radio while preparing his SCAR and attaching a scope.

"How did they get here?!" Lee asks in horror as he also prepares his SCAR with an ACOG sight.

"Probably due to that last firefight we had with that ambush." Neji grunts out in annoyance before keeping his sights on the treeline surrounding the rundown warehouse.

With Kiba, the Inuzuka rushes to the door and all but punches the intercom. "Sir! Virals!"

Only seconds pass before the reply comes out calmly. **__**"Good man. Go to the tower with Neji and Lee. Also, make sure to shut the door. Hold out for as long as you can, Inuzuka. I don't want anymore of my men to die, are we clear?"**__**Naruto says from the other side of the intercom.

"Yes sir!" Kiba says before he closes the door and rushes to meet the others.

Neji and Lee see Kiba heading for them and nod. Seconds later, the first viral comes into view.

BANG!

Neji takes the shot and the Viral's head bursts as the standard issue anti-tank rounds of the Legions do their work.

"That's oddly satisfying." He mutters to himself before taking aim at another Viral.

BANG!

Another clean kill as Kiba finally makes it up.

"Kiba, what about the ammo in the humvee?" Lee asks as he takes a shot at another angle where another Viral appears.

"Too risky. I almost didn't even make it!" Kiba says as he aims down another angle allowing the three to cover a full 360 view of the tower they were now in. "No offense Neji. I know you can cover me, but I don't want to take unnecessary risks."

"None taken." Neji says before firing off another shot. "Keep to single-shots only. Don't waste ammunition." He says calmly before firing another.

Lee and Kiba nod in agreement. Not to mention, they only have ten extra magazines to spare.

The fire shot after shot as more Virals make a dash for their tower.

"I don't think I'll have enough ammo after this guys." Kiba says as he fires four consecutive shots only to take out three. "Tsk! What the fuck happened with the world?!"

"Less talking, more shooting." Neji says calmly as he fires off five rounds, each making their mark.

Lee pauses and concentrates on the treeline in his line of sight and his eyes widen.

In a burst of speed, twenty Virals burst from the treeline followed by more, and more, and much, much more. "Guys! I think we have a problem!"

Neji looks over and his eyes widen in horror. What was once twenty soon became forty, sixty, a hundred and their numbers just kept on climbing.

"I don't think we'll last." Lee says as he takes aim now with shaky hands.

"Then let's give them hell!" Kiba says before throwing a grenade to the horde. It explodes making tiny metal pellets rain down on some Virals killing at least ten while crippling five others. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!" He shouts before throwing five more grenades… leaving him with none left.

"Dammit…" Neji says as he looks on in horror as the Virals start to climb. "This was a suicide mission after all."

"I say give 'em Hell!" Kiba says before aiming at the ones closest to reaching the tower and firing. "DAMMIT NEJI! LEE! I NEED YOUR FUCKING HELP!"

Lee nods before patting Neji on the shoulder. "Might as well take out as many as we can, yeah?"

With a sad smile and a resigned sigh, Neji nods before the veins to his eyes bulge. He takes aim as Lee starts joining Kiba's firing. Neji takes a breath, and with that breath, he fires. Click, click, click, click, click, Neji pulls on the trigger faster and faster making his clip runs dry, each round taking out one Viral. He removes it and throws it to one Viral's head making it stumble only for its head to be blown up as Neji fires another shot from another magazine.

Then all the Virals stop.

FVRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!

A war horn bellows from one of the further surrounding mountains.

FVRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH!

Another from a different direction.

FVRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHH!

Again, a war horn sounds, but this last one seemed far louder and closer than the previous two.

The door that leads down to the basement rattles turning the attention of the Virals towards it. It rattles more and the three in the tower can only watch with the fear as firing a shot could turn the attention of the Virals back towards them.

The Virals growl like animals as they start to gather around the door but something keeps them from blocking it, or even going nearer, as if their instinct tells them to be weary.

There is a tense silence that follows as the door remains quiet, yet the Virals do not move. Clearly they are expecting something, and then…

BANG!

The door flies off it hinges.

****===== Earlier underground =====****

"Indeed." Naruto replies as a soft blue glow comes from in front of them.

"But… how?" The Uchiha manages to get out as Naruto steps forward.

"I know all about you, Shisui Uchiha." The blonde says as he walks towards the glow. "You were the first successful candidate of Project Helghast. There were others, of course…" Naruto stops at a blue glowing tube the size of a man. "But none could compare to you and me." He says before looking into the tube as a man with pale skin and short blonde hair floats inside with a respirator over his mouth and nose. "We were the best. No one could compare to us, yet you chose to have them clear you from the project. They tried to get Itachi, but he refused. I'm sure you must have told him. They tried many more, failures of course, before my father asked me to take your place."

Shisui can do nothing but follow the blonde with his eyes.

"I accepted, naturally, wanting to please my father." Naruto continues as he looks into the tube to see another just like the first. "I'm sure the reason you didn't accept was because you feared that the Legions, at that the UNSCD, wanted an army of super soldiers. You always have this thing where you hate it when a person or group has too much power. I respect you for that, but look at them now." Naruto says motioning to all the other tubes across the room.

Shisui follows and nods. "They are… your clones."

Naruto nods. "They are, but they are also more. They are my soldiers. They will follow my every word, loyal only to me and me alone. They will follow me into hell should I ask them."

"Loyalty? I call that madness." Shisui says as he walks up to one of the other clones. "This is what you meant when you said that we would no longer need to worry about our lack of manpower?"

Naruto walks up to him and taps him the shoulder. "Correct." He then motions for the man to follow deeper into the room were more clones rest inside tubes.

"This is… admittedly amazing. I see… forty rows but the columns on each side seem to stretch on forever." He says with a hint of awe in his voice.

Naruto nods before a blare on the intercom interrupts his stride.

**__**"Sir! Virals!"**__**

Naruto taps his wrist and says, "Good man. Go to the tower with Neji and Lee. Also, make sure to shut the door. Hold out for as long as you can, Inuzuka. I don't want anymore of my men to die, are we clear?"

**__**"Yes sir!"**__**

Shisui looks at the blonde in anticipation. "So we'll go there to help, right?"

"Soon. We have more to do. Come, we can't delay any more than we already have." The blonde replies before making a quick stride towards the other end of the room and the Uchiha tries to keep pace.

They take only two minutes to reach the end of the room, yet Shisui can only stare in awe as Naruto works on lines upon lines of binary code after reaching the computer. It starts out in one window only before two more pop out and the blonde works on a specialized keyboard that translates his input into binary codes before the windows vanish and a message appears.

****"Welcome, Naruto Namikaze. Please state your designation."****

Naruto smiles. "Naruto Namikaze, designation, Caesar Augustus."

****"Welcome, Caesar. Your Legion awaits."****

With those words, the room lights up fully as the blue glow vanishes as the ceiling lights shower the room in a bright white light. The sound of pressurized air being released can be heard as the liquid in the tanks are drained and the men in them open their eyes and turn to face their original.

"Caesar." They say through their respirators as the glasses of the tubes are raised. "We await your command."

Shisui felt fear. For the first time in a long time he felt fear. Their voices were muffled and rough, robotic even, and when they spoke together, it gave off the impression that they were indeed legions, but not the legions of Rome. No, it gave off the impression that they were the legions of hell, often spoken in demonology.

"Get dressed men." Naruto says as he looks at the entire room. "The Tenth Legion will rise once again."

With those words, the Helghast Legionaries raise their arms to the sides as mechanical arms extend from the ceiling, The arms carry with them helmets, vests, arm guards, shin guards, boots, a special set of inner clothing, and black military long coats.

"Sir…" Shisui starts as the arms start putting the gear onto the men. "If I may, why do they look like those SS soldiers of World War Two?"

Naruto raises a brow at him. "Shisui, take away that historical context for a minute and what do you see?"

"Soldiers…"

"And they are loyal to who?"

"You, Naruto…"

"And am I a Hitler?"

"Uh…"

"The answer to that is no. I am not Hitler." The blonde then motions to the soldiers who are given a red arm band with the words "Legio X" on it. "I am Augustus. I am Caesar. And as much as I respect Julius Caesar for his brilliance, he was not Augustus who was a cunning yet just man, more respected than his father. I am not Hitler who fell so low regardless of his brilliance. All great giants in history, good or bad, Shisui, have my respect. Each did something to earn their place in history, and each did something questionable. If anything, no one is ever truly good. Not even I, yet we must choose the lesser of two evils, and do not forget the most important rule in history."

Shisui scoffs. "What, those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it?"

Naruto shakes his head. "No. It is that History is written by the victors."

"What are you implying?"

"Depending on who won the Second World War, our perspectives could very much be different."

"So you choose a neutral path?"

"That's up for interpretation. You can judge me in the future though." Naruto says with a smile as a hologram of Cortana appears beside him handing him his own black military long coat. "For now, we have men to save."

Shisui sucks up a breather before letting out and nodding. "Fair enough." He then looks to the men and asks the blonde, "What should we call them?"

"The Helghast of course. It was a successful project. Why change the name?"

"Sounds like that Killzone game." Shisui say.

"Well, they do look badass so of course the author would go with that. They just look fat so he decided to go with the black military long coat."

"Author?"

"Nothing."

Cortana smiles. "Cue plot armor?"

Naruto hums. "Not sure that counts but whatever."

"What are you guys talk-"

"Shh!" Naruto shushes him. "No use for all this negativity here now is there? Let's direct it to the Virals outside."

Cortana smiles before she vanishes as Naruto puts on his long coat and says, "Helghast Legionaries! Onward!"

****===== Present =====****

The door flies off its hinges. The Virals charge.

A hail of gunfire greets them.

Limbs are sent flying, heads go boom, stomachs go splat, and any unlucky Virals caught in the middle are torn to shreds. The gunfire stops as a man wearing a black military long coat and a special respirator steps out.

The man is followed by another, and another, and another, until there are ten of them before the familiar face of Shisui Uchiha and Naruto Namikaze appear with Naruto being the only one between the two to wear the similar military long coat.

The first ten form a semi circle around the two as more Virals appear.

"These are some annoying little bastards aren't they?" Naruto asks as he looks to the trees and to the ten who each carry SCAR rifles. "Fire at will."

The ten aim and open fire as more men join them but just then, the forests erupts in a blazing inferno.

"What the fuck?" Shisui asks as he looks around dumbfounded. "No way in hell can our ammo do that, right?"

Naruto smirks. "You know, for an Uchiha, you sure know how to show some emotion."

Shisui waves him off. "I'm not one to care much for those things."

It is here that the three in the tower drop down behind them and looks of surprise, awe, and admiration are given to the two and to the now thirty men around them.

"Damn that was so cool! And look at those outfits! WOAH!" Kiba says voicing his, and the thoughts of the other two as they nod.

****"What, don't I get any thanks after going through all that trouble?"**** A lazy male voice calls out as the sound of humming jet engines start to make themselves known to the men on the ground.

Naruto smiles as the air lifts sand and blood while the smoke is directed away from the rundown warehouse.

Across him and his men, a Pelican carrier craft shimmers into existence with many more doing the same further off as they head to his location. He looks to the pilot and says, "Good to see you Shikamaru."

"You as well Naruto. It's been hell trying to hold those two legions down without you or your father you know?" The pilot says as he removes his helmet to reveal the iconic Nara who is just around Naruto's age.

Naruto smiles. "As much as I enjoy your lectures, get down here and pick us up will you?"

Shikamaru then mutters his ever so memorable phrase. "Troublesome."

The four others can only look at the exchange of the two in confusion. They could tell that this Shikamaru was a Nara, but why have they never herd of him before?

Still, there was no time for questions as the Pelican lands and the five get on before being followed by the first ten who stepped out of the warehouse.

Inside, Naruto and Shikamaru greet each other with a brotherly hug as the Pelican begins to hover from the ground and more of Naruto's Helghast Legionaries appear from the warehouse.

"I'm surprised to some degree, Shika." Naruto says as he looks out from ramp of the pelican that has yet to close. "How did you know how to find us?"

Shikamaru smiles. "Thank that blue woman of yours."

Cortana speaks in Naruto's thoughts and says, __"I never told him though…"__

Naruto would speak but Shikamaru raises a hand to silence him. "I know what she said, or at least I can guess, but really, she told us that you were waking up so I tried to get some of our still functioning sat-feed and bam, here we are."

The blonde smiles. "Leave things to you, huh?"

Shikamaru shrugs. "So long as it isn't that boring."

"You say that but still complain that it's troublesome."

The Nara shrugs again.

Shisui walks up to the two from behind and listens in while watching Pelican after Pelican carry more and more of Naruto's clones.

"How many are there anyway?" Shisui asks as he stares in awe cutting the conversation between Naruto and Shikamaru short, not that he two mind seeing as they finished their important topics already.

Naruto hums before smiling. "Eight hundred." He says as he looks at the number of Pelicans. "I hope you brought enough."

Shikamaru scoffs. "Of course I did. How do you think we survived for this long?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" Naruto asks with a smirk.

Shikamaru clears his throat at that. "No, I'm good."

"Good man." Naruto says before turning to head to the cockpit. "Where are we heading?"

Shikamaru walks up beside him before telling him to take a seat behind his pilot seat. He looks up behind him a bit before speaking. "Now?" Here he glances at the map before he looks forward. "Our destination is Japan."

Naruto gives a grim look at those words. "I didn't think I'd be heading back so soon."

Shikamaru smiles. "Count yourself lucky. Michael left a special clone for you." His words make Naruto raise a brow so he continues. "While you were asleep, the survivors of the Legions were completing a new carrier specifically designed to be our second base. It's still incomplete, but we're close. We just need a month or two and we'll be out of reach of the EGO for a very long time."

"EGO?"

"Earth's Governing Order."

Naruto gives an "aaahhhhh" in realization before he smiles. "So we're finally close to getting into space?"

Shikamaru smiles back. "Well, someone's going to be living their dream of creating the ODST from those Halo games we've been playing."

Naruto scoffs. "Yeah, and to think they all said it could not be done… just a quick question. The carrier doesn't look like those in the Halo games, right? Please tell me someone came up with something original."

Shikamaru shrugs. "Say what you will about the Pelicans being copies, but the carrier? Well… you'll see it when we get there."

"God kill me if the author can't think of anything original."

"The plot's original enough. Hell, dude got some hate reviews."

"Yeah… hey author, Halo ships like the Infinity or what?"

We'll see. Can't decide yet.

Naruto and Shikamaru shrug at my response.

As the scene pans out, it shows the Pelican of Naruto and Shikamaru at the front of a flight of roughly 40 or so pelicans, each of the rest carrying 20 men as they head for a gray blur in the distance.

"Which he still has no idea what it's form is."

Shut it Naruto, or I'm never writing you with a pairing.

"..."

Good boy.

****===== TBC =====****

****Finished on April 24, 2019| Philippines| 23:47 hours****

****Not yet proofread.****


	4. Destination: Japan

****Started on April 25, 2019| Philippines| 00:35 hours****

****IMPORTANT:****

****I could not find any real life reference of Tokonosu City so therefore I used Google Earth to see what city could be replaced by Tokonosu. After looking, I decided that instead of there being an Osaka, it is now Tokonosu; large, populated, and it fits for what I'm planning.****

****IMPORTANT NUMERO DOS:****

****NO, I will not be using real life maps because I've never been to Osaka. Least I don't remember anyway. Plus, have you seen how big Osaka is? On the map alone? Fuck that, I'll be hassling both you guys and myself so no, I won't give a detailed map-for-map location. Hell, I'll make everything up for Tokonosu since not even the wiki has a damn map.****

****SIDE NOTE IMPORTANT:****

****May as well make everything up for real life locations. Only fair that way.****

****Onwards my comrades! Bring me the Vodka! … fuck you mean we ran out?! No stock?! BAH! Naruto! Bring me some sake!****

****N: You don't own me! Nor HOTD actually.****

****FUCK OFF! I WRITE SOME FANFICS! THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH!****

****N: You're still broke.****

****Wanna run that by me again? I'm sure removing your potential pairing will be fine.****

****N: …****

****Good man. NOW SAKE DAMMIT! Oh… none too huh? Alright, fuck it. Water it is then.****

****Destination: Japan****

The Pelicans arrive on what looks to be a giant air craft carrier that can easily be called a giant floating city. It is ten kilometers wide, seventy kilometers in length, and while part of it is submerged, the surface view from the top flat of the carrier to the sea is thirty meters high. Unlike other carriers, however, it has two bridges on the sides, one for each, and one bridge at the rear - all of which are aligned in height and extending the height by another twenty.

On the surface of the carriers are thousands of air craft be they planes, helicopters, or Pelicans, and as the flight of forty Pelicans land, the lead Pelican is greeted by a contingent of four soldiers, and one officer with snow white hair who wears an outfit similar to that worn by the Helghast Legionaries and Naruto. On his face is a scar that goes down his eye, and where his hairstyle not similar to Naruto's and his hair color silver, he could easily be mistaken for as Kakashi Hatake, a legend among both the Legions and the EGO.

As the ramp opens and the two step out, the officers greets them.

"Naruto, Shikamaru, I'm glad you've both made it."

Naruto raises a brow at him. "Michael?"

"Michaelo." The man corrects with a firm nod. "Come, we have matters to discuss, and I have a purpose to fulfill."

The Namikaze looks at the Nara who just shrugs before they both decide to just go along with it.

The man, Michaelo stops out in the open making the two following him look at him oddly before a jolt of the ground and a hiss of air make them look down as where they stand starts to descent. The two look up to see that the platform they are on is easily replaced by another making the blonde hum in thought while pineapple boy mutters something incoherent although one doesn't really have to guess what he said.

As they descend, Michaelo speaks. "As you may be aware, I am the clone of Michael. Similar in many ways, but not all." He then motions to the floors that pass by. "Appearances are deceptive, as I'm sure you're seeing."

Naruto nods. "The warehouse was designed to be deceptive so I can see where you're coming from." He then steps beside the man. "What does that have to do with you though?"

Michaelo's body glows a soft white before becoming somewhat transparent. It regains its physical look again after he takes a look at the somewhat shocked faces of Shikamaru and Naruto.

"You're-"

"An AI that has acquired the ability to gain a physical form, yes." the man replies to the Nara before looking into Naruto's eyes. "You have one of the most advanced AI's I've ever seen. Not to mention, pat cyborg? Wow, and I thought my original was crazy." He says lightly before popping his joints.

"So where are we going?" Shikamaru asks as he looks around the still descending lift.

"Briefing room."

"How far does this thing go?" Naruto wonders before another jolt and hiss of air sounds.

"This far."

Shikamaru snickers as Naruto gives him a glare. "Not feeling so witty now are we?"

"My wit is still better than most."

"Yeah, well, he still beat you to it without even trying."

Naruto scoffs. "That's one trait of my cousin I hate, but I sure as hell miss it." He mumbles off before Michaelo motions him and Shikamaru to follow. He looks down and asks as he still sees more floors they've yet to reach. "What's that supposed to be?"

The three keep their stride as Michaelo answers. "That is what we will need to get into space." He then taps the air before a vision of while blasts throughout their path showing the halls of a luxury cruise ship instead of the transparent halls and walkways they were experiencing thus far. "The carrier is a terrestrial base that Michael hoped would be somewhat permanent, but with the recent developments against the Legions, he decided that it would not be worth the trouble of keeping just one base so here we are, a temporary base before we get into space. So far though, the carrier has been good enough for us to use with its cloaking ability,but it will only be a matter of time before the world goes to hell."

As they walk down the hall, a wall opens leading to a dimly lit room where Michaelo enters and the two follow. He looks at them as a holographic map appears on a table at the center. "Now, let's begin."

****===== Later that night =====****

Naruto can be found sitting on his bed in a rather luxurious room while wearing a black slim-fit shirt that was rather comfortable, black cargo pants, and five knives he tries to keep on his person at all times. He wears no footwear as his boots rest at the foot of his bed while his socks are in a basket near the door with a spare set of clothes in the closet of the room.

The room even has a fake window that shows beautiful city lights and rain drops, and the audio system gave an ambient sound to the point where the blonde could almost forget he was in a carrier. A giant carrier more advanced than anything ever built, but a carrier nonetheless.

The lighting of the room is dim as a soft orange glow emanates from a standing floor lamp located at the corner near the "window" of his room. Naruto sits facing the window as the lamp's light shadows his face except his eyes. As he stares at the window, his eyes glow a haunting orange, almost as if fires dance within them.

__A haunting scream.__

__"Naruto, are you sure you want to do this?"__

__Naruto smiles. "Yes, Tou-san."__

__"You won't ever be the same after this."__

__Naruto smiles. "Nah, I'm sure I'll stay the same. I'm Naruto Namikaze for a reason!"__

The knocks on the door to the room pull Naruto from his thoughts. "Come in."

The door unlocks and slides open with the hiss of air before two people step in.

The first person Naruto takes notice is Shikamaru. The Nara is now dressed similar to what Naruto wore earlier. Shisui is the second one he notices. The Uchiha, like the Nara, now wears what he wore earlier. The two of them stand in attention as Naruto stands to face them.

"No need for formalities or stiffness when I'm off duty." Naruto remarks dryly as two lounge chairs materialize by the walls. "Sit."

The two look at each other quizzically before the decided to do as told.

"I'm going to assume this is about who among both of you will be known as Scipio?" Naruto asks having an idea where the topic can go.

"Not… necessarily." Shisui says nervously. "I've decided to resign my position to Shikamaru. I can't beat him in any strategy games so far, and I feel as though only you can give him a run for his money… even without your cyborg augmentation."

Naruto raises a brow at that. "Well now that's somewhat surprising. I thought for sure there would be a fight among the two of you."

"Is that a good thing?" Shikamaru asks lazily.

The blonde shrugs. "Doesn't matter much now. No fight is good so let's leave that at that." He turns his attention to Shisui next as he says, "I want to know why though."

Shisui smiles. "I'd like permission to go to Itachi and help him. He's-"

"Your best friend." Naruto finishes the statement. "I recognize such bonds when a person speaks fondly of another is such a manner. If you need my permission, you have it, although you never needed it."

Shisui nods before clearing his throat. "Well, that was all I came for actually. Excuse me, Caesar. You have your Tenth Legion. I can now address you as such."

"If it pleases you." Naruto says with a nod. He and Shikamaru watch Shisui leave before the two look at each other. "So, what's on your mind?"

Shikamaru smirks smugly before sinking into his seat. "I wanted to know what you thought of me going to Switzerland."

"What the hell are you going to do there?" Naruto asks with a raised brow.

"The Thirteenth Legion betrayed us, but be that as it may, it is the closest t Germany I can get without interfering with the matters Itachi, and now Shisui will be dealing with. They've been rather neutral between our war and EGO, but they sympathize with us."

Naruto grins at that. "That's surprising for the most part."

Shikamaru scoffs. "I'll admit, I had the same reaction. However, I have a purpose for going there." Naruto simply motions with his hands for him to continue, and continue he does. "So far the Swiss have been safe from the infection, but I fear not for long. We have the common Virals, Runners, Walkers, and Biters, but I've heard rumours that a new type has been sighted. One more dangerous than the four. The Swiss are in my opinion the best chance we have at finding out what the new variant is."

Naruto nods and smiles. "Good man. I'll leave that to you. I want you and Shisui to take three pelicans worth of my Helghast Legionaries. Oh, and tell him to take those three kids. Neji, Lee, and Kiba I believe their names were?"

Shikamaru nods. "What about you? You heading to Japan?"

Naruto shrugs. "Not much of a choice. Our forces are already spread thin. I can clone them here once Cortana finishes with the data I sent her, but that will be awhile."

Shikamaru nods before he stands. "Thank you, Naruto. I'll report back to you on anything I can find." With those words and a nod from the blonde, he leaves.

Naruto on the other hand sat back down on his bed before his mind drifts back to the briefing he head earlier.

****===== The Briefing Earlier =====****

"Now let's begin."

The holographic map zooms into Asia and highlights Japan.

"Japan, like Switzerland, has remained neutral throughout this entire conflict we have with the EGO. However, that no longer matters. See, Japan, like some of the very few countries that have stayed neutral, has yet to be touched by the infection… as of yesterday."

Shikamaru then raises a point. "Meaning what exactly?"

Michaelo smiles. He gives a motion with his hand and the map zooms in on a hospital. "This just came in an hour ago."

The image becomes a video as a man can be seen thrashing wildly on a stretcher as he is wheeled into the hospital from an ambulance.

Naruto steps forward and analyzes the video before looking at the white-haired man. "What allowance are you giving us? Surely this means that this is more than an hour ago. We have to take into consideration the time it takes for them to even send the video."

"An allowance of three hours." Michaelo says as the video closes. "So four in total.

"Any live feed yet?" Naruto asks.

"That's the problem."

"How so?"

"We're already taking a risk with these communications. They can be intercepted by EGO any time, granted, they are in disarray after fighting our remnants and we still have pockets of resistance everywhere, but our remnants won't last long considering they have more than one threat to deal with."

"You mean the infected?"

"Correct, but not just any." Michaelo says before the map of the table changes to that of an image showing an animalistic looking infected looking into the camera in a roar as its lower jaws part into two.

"What the fuck?" Shikamaru manages to mutter out while Naruto simply stares at it.

After a moment of silence, the blonde voices his thoughts. "Their experiments failed, I take it?"

Michaelo nods. "EGO tried to weaponize the virus… they thought they could wipe us out with it, but, in turn, they created something that could destroy us both."

"So, what of Japan?" Naruto asks as he motions his hand and closes the video. "Surely they sent this to us in hopes of us helping them."

"They did. It will be your call now. You are Caesar. You are our leader. I can keep everything running smoothly here, but any big decisions, any field deployments, they pass through you."

Naruto stares at the table showing Japan, the image of the new infected, and a looped video of the man being wheeled away. "I need to think on it."

"No one will force you sir." Michaelo says before he heads to the door.

"Wait." Naruto calls out just in time for the man to reach the door. "What did they hope to achieve with that thing?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." With that, the man leaves leaving the other two in the room to view any additional information they could use.

****===== Naruto's room, present =====****

That briefing was over two hours ago. The blonde, still on his bed, has much to think about.

Cortana appears before him and places a hand on him, yet he feels nothing but the cold touch of air. "Hey, come on, I was designed to be as human as possible, remember? At least give me credit for trying to cheer you up."

Naruto snorts in amusement before looking at her. "Your done with the files?"

"Yeah, but somehow there are a few that I can't access no matter what."

Naruto nods. "That's good. It means that those files are for me and me alone to know."

"You don't trust me, Naruto?"

"You may think you know me, Cortana, just because you've seen things in files, files that show memories, but you don't." He says plainly before plopping down onto his bed.

"Way to boost a girl's confidence."

Naruto smirks without making eye contact. "Pity you're just that though. I like that look of yours… it's appealing."

"You're rather blunt, huh?"

"It's who I am." He shrugs before snapping his fingers and the lights in the room turn off leaving only the beautiful blue glow of Cortana as she sits on the bed… even thought it doesn't shift to her as she is but a hologram, no physical contact, no material touch, simply an image created by Naruto's cyborg enhancements.

"You're still so young, yet look at you…"

"Michael is not the only one to make a clone, Cortana."

"What do you mean?"

"Those files you can't access? They are mine for a reason." He shifts as his eyes close.

Cortana only looks at him before her hologram vanishes taking the beautiful blue glow with her.

Naruto's eyes then open as he stares into the darkness of his room, his mind still racing with possibilities.

**__**"Naruto, I'm sorry to disturb, but you'll want to come see this."**__** Michaelo's voice says through the intercom in his room.

Without much choice, the blonde gets up, gets dressed, and heads off.

It takes him only five minutes to get to where he needs to be, in one of the many briefing rooms, and Michaelo materializes inside.

"What is it?" Naruto asks before a blue screen pops up from a wall.

Michaelo says nothing as a video plays.

In the video, the man who was wheeled into the hospital lies strapped on a stretcher. Five doctors surround him as he struggles to break free even with his stomach cut open, yet the doctors do their best to do their work on him.

A strap snaps shocking the doctors before one of them hits it in the head knocking it out. They continue to do their work when Naruto notices that they never saw it coming.

The man's skin paled before darkening, and veins started to give off an orange glow. What happened next happened too fast for any of the doctors to react.

The thing's lower jaw splits into two and tears one doctor's head off via a bite to the neck. Although the video has no audio, somehow Naruto can still hear them scream as two doctors manage to get out while the other two lie trap before being cut down, one by one of the thing's claws, the other by being jumped on and bitten sending him and the creature out the window.

The video ends in static.

"That was ten minutes ago." Michaelo says with a grim look. "Looks like Japan won't be safe anymore."

Naruto looks him in the eye as Cortana materializes beside him. "How many hours until dawn?"

"Seven."

Naruto looks at Cortana and taps the back of his neck where a slit opens. "Stay here, make sure you can clone them." Here he looks at the clone of his cousin. "We do have the machines, right?" All he receives is a nod, and that is all he needs before he nods back. "Get me a connection with her and this ship once it's done. She and I will handle the channel encryption." A chip is then forced out from the back of his neck and Cortana vanishes.

"It takes four hours to reach Japan if you don't want to give away our location to the EGO."

"So clone them fast."

"What are you going to do?"

"Ready the men. Tell them to be ready for departure in two hours."

"Got it."

Naruto leaves the briefing room and checks the ships logs for the last known location of Shisui and Shikamaru. He doesn't even go to them. Instead, he simply forwards them the video and goes to his room. He then sends them a voice message as he starts to gather his things and decide what he needs.

****===== Two hours later on the carrier deck =====****

The Tenth Legion stands in attention as Naruto watches them while Shisui and Shikamaru stand by his flanks "Helghast Legionaries!" Naruto calls out in a booming voice even those not part of his legion on deck stop to listen. "We have a difficult fight ahead of us. I cannot ensure that you will all come back. I promise you now, you may have been created, but know this: I would rather see you all live and come home than die giving up your lives lest it be the only choice for success. Take no unnecessary risks. Remember that." His speech is done and all Helghast beat their chest once with a fist before giving their unifying cry.

****"Hail Caesar!"****

Naruto then turns to Shikamaru and says, "Shika, take four hundred men. That's twenty flights of pelicans." He then turns to the Uchiha and says, "Shisui, take two hundred, ten flights."

"What do you intend to do with only two hundred men?" Shisui asks as they only have eight hundred men at the moment.

"My Helghast are far more skilled than your average soldier." Naruto says with a smirk. "Go, choose your men, and don't fail."

"Neji, Kiba, and Lee are coming with me too?" Shisui asks with a raised brow. "They're kids."

"They're like me. Child soldiers. They'll live. That' why I'm sending them with you." Naruto then pats him on the shoulder. "You and Itachi were just like them."

"I'll be sure to send them your way once I deem them capable then." Shisui says before heading off.

Shikamaru stands there for a moment before Naruto asks what's bothering him. "Nothing major. My only qualm is that we won't know what to expect in Switzerland. Japan still communicates with us, but not the Swiss. If anything, they went dark because all countries around them are part of EGO with Itachi still in Germany creating some problems for EGO here and there."

"That's why you're going with four hundred men. No idea what to expect, yet fully prepared to give them hell if they already fell."

Shikamaru nods before grasping Naruto's arm. "Don't die on me."

Naruto snorts. "No, __you__ don't die on me." The two then part ways as Shikamaru chooses his men.

"Sir." One Helghast calls out stepping forward from the group. "What shall you require of the rest of us?"

Naruto stares on as the carrier lights blink and shine through the still dark deck. "Centurion, prepare three flights of Pelicans. Make sure all Pelicans are armed. Return here with the rest for final briefing."

It takes only another thirty minutes or so for the task to be completed and the Centurion returns with a fist on his chest reporting that he has finished. Behind him, thirty Pelicans take off and only two hundred men remain.

Naruto looks at them before nodding. "A flight of three Pelicans are heading in with me. The rest of you, make sure to give your brothers a crash course. They won't have the time for their bodies to adjust to the liquid in the tanks unlike you, so I will need you to ensure that they will be able to perform any and all physical acts you are capable of." He then looks the centurion and says, "Pick the teams. Two minutes."

"They'll be ready in one." The centurion says before turning to face the men and says, "Legionaries! Volunteer!"

All step forward.

"Count off from one to eighty!"

In no less than a minute, eighty men stand aside from their brothers as they make six lines behind three Pelican Gunships, two behind each.

"Sir, do you want me to come with you?" The centurion asks as Naruto steps onto the ramp of the Pelican.

Naruto thinks for a moment before turning and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet. Join the second wave. I want you to make sure that the new batch of Helghast will be just as capable as yours. I don't like losing men, no matter who or what they are."

"Understood." He says with a fist to his chest.

"Good man. I expect to see you son Centurion." Naruto says as he gets on and the ramp is raised.

The three Pelicans take off, the night now nearing its end with only four hours and thirty minutes before dawn, and Naruto taking into precaution of taking a four hour flight to keep their carrier secret as of the moment, the should arrive just before dawn above Japanese waters.

Naruto taps his bracers and a wide titanium shield materializes through the use of nanobots. He does a motion with his hand and a Spatha materializes before he sheaths it on his left hip while doing the same again only this time for a roman gladius to take form which he sheathes onto his right.

The men do the same before sending a video taken by their helmets to their brothers on the other Pelicans and then, for then next four hours, the ride only contains small chatter between the pilots and the humming of the engines.

****===== Coast of Japan; 30 minutes before Dawn =====****

"Sir, radio chatter coming in from an SDF airbase." The copilot of Naruto's Pelican says while looking back to the the cargo section of the ship where the twenty men sit while Naruto stands, not at all off balanced.

"Put it through." Naruto says before tapping his bracers.

****"Tenth Legion, come in. Tenth Legion, come in"****

"Tenth Legion, Communication intercepted. State your intent SDF."

****"Tenth Legion, be advised: This is a recorded message. All airports are closed. Narita International Airport is the only one you're allowed access to to set up headquarters. The rest have been taken cared of by the EGO. SDF personnel have already been notified to prepare for your arrival. Reply as soon as possible. First public outbreak was in Tokyo. Second was in the Kyoto. We need backup and the EGO isn't of any help."****

"Sir?" The pilot asks from the cockpit.

"They know we're coming. How far out are we?" Naruto says as he walks up to the cockpit and watches from behind the pilots.

"Twenty minutes out until we make land sir. We're approaching from the south. Narita is to the north."

Naruto nods. "Disregard the message. We don't have enough men. Not yet."

"So where shall we land sir?"

Naruto opens his tacmap from his bracer and zooms in on a location. "Tokonosu City."

****===== TBC =====****

****Finished on April 28, 2019| Philippines| 18:16 hours****

****Not yet proofread.****

****REVIEW PLEASE! Constructive criticism is fine BUT remember, fanfiction so I don't have to follow fucking canon. Plus, I thought it (this) would give something new to this section of fanfiction so here. Don't like it? Awe, too bad for me, but hey, can't please everyone, and FIIIIINALLLYYYY!****

****Why? Because next chap will finally have some HOTD characters… anime only. Never read the manga, and when I heard it's incomplete cause the author died? Yeah, not really feeling it so…****

****Till next time!****


	5. Tokonosu Meets Hell

****Started on April 28, 2019| Philippines| 22:13 hours****

****WARNING: HOTD Characters will be OoC (Out of Character). You have been warned.****

****Tokonosu Meets Hell****

Dawn arrives on the Land of the Rising Sun. The air is quiet as the birds do not chirp, nor do the crows caw. A flight of three black hawks patrol the skies of Tokonosu City. The black hawks never notice the three dots in the distance that are closing in from the sea to the south.

All the while, the three dots, the Pelicans, climb in altitude and get above the clouds. Inside the lead Pelican, Naruto's eyes glow a beautiful blue and his vision is then changed to see through the Pelican and the clouds to take in the city below.

"Sir, do you want us to prepare for a drop?" One of the Helghast ask as his and his brothers' goggles glow orange, his vision and theirs doing the same as Naruto's.

"No." Naruto says with a blank look on his face. "Let's keep watch. It looks as though the infection has yet to spread."

"Sir, if I may, you may want to see this." The copilot of the Pelican says before a holographic projection pops up in front of him and he swipes his hand passing it onto Naruto.

The projection shows a dark alley in Tokyo where the man who was bound in a hospital stumbles around before two officers show up with guns trained on him. He charges them but they fire killing him.

Unfortunately for the two and the rest of Tokyo, they never noticed what Naruto did. The man's blood entering their eyes.

"How long ago was this?" Naruto asks as he swipes the feed away.

"Around an hour or two ago sir. Do you think it could have made its way here by now?"

Naruto gives a grim look. "Were we stuck in feudal Japan? No, but with the trains?" He looks to some nearby buildings and nods. "Yeah, it might have already made its way all over the country."

"What now sir?"

Naruto's vision zooms in on a set of buildings nearby with three that stand out to him, namely a business building around twenty stories high located five buildings away from the center building in his vision, an office building and with five stories across a school, and the school being the central building with four stories.

An image is then sent to the pilots that have the three buildings highlighted..

"I want one bird to drop off a team on that business building." He says and a Pelican lowers its altitude accordingly. He speaks again as it continues its descent. "It's still early, and the black hawks already finished their rounds, get inside but secure the rooftop while you can. Designated Team Name: Black Team, do you copy?"

**__**"Black Leader, Copy."**__** One of the men designated as the team's leader by the team replies over the radio.

"The second Pelican, drop off at that office building, designated Team Name: White Team, do you copy?" He says and the other Pelican goes in for a landing.

**__**"White Leader, Copy."**__**

"What about us sir?" The pilot asks as he circles around.

"Maintain altitude. The two other Pelicans, head back for base. Await further instructions."

**__**"Copy that, Caesar."**__** The four pilots reply as they head off back to the south sea they came from.

"So what now?" One of the Helghast asks.

"Now?" Naruto sighs. "We play a waiting game."

****===== 07:00 hours =====****

Two hours have passed since the landing of black team and white team. Black team has by now secured the roof top and tapped into the security feed of the cameras of their assigned building. White team has done the same, but considering their building is far smaller than that of black team's, they are able to do a physical search to get the layout of the building. Both teams now lie in wait on the roofs, each member ready with suppressed sniper-assault rifles while each also keep ready their spatha and gladius.

Naruto and his team still shadow the city from the skies and finally, after waiting, they find movement.

"Sir…"

"Yeah…" Naruto confirms with a nod. "They're not yet infected."

"That's not good is it?"

"Ignorance is bliss…but for how long?" Naruto asks no one in particular before he sighs. "We can't save everyone, but we can ensure that a ton will survive, if only they allow us to."

"Yeah, some people don't want help." One Helghast says before another replies with a scoff, "Yeah, and sometimes those that do just use those who help them."

All the while, the streets now crowd with people heading to work, school, and wherever else they need to be using trains, cars, or simply by walking. They remain unaware of the eyes that watch them and of the looming threat drawing ever closer.

****===== 07:45 hours =====****

White team watches from the building roof they occupy and one radios in a report. "Two O'clock, staggering fool or infected?" He asks and another sniper checks.

"Infected. Permission to open fire."

Naruto's voice comes on the radio. ****"Permission granted. Single shots only. No need to waste more than necessary."****

"Copy that." The Helghast says before taking a breath. Time slows for him as he aims and then squeezes the trigger.

PFFT!

The suppressed shot rings out in his ears and the bullet travels, its 50 caliber shell hitting the infected's head and splattering blood and brain on the ground bellow. The body stumbles for but a moment, its knees finally finding rest before the rest follow.

"Tango down."

"Caesar, this is White Leader. If the infected get inside the school, it will be all over for them."

****"Copy, White Leader. Take down any infected you can."****

****"White Leader, this is Black Leader. Convoy of four EGO armoured sedans heading your way."****

"Shit." White Leader says before looking to his men and nods. "Drop down. Don't let them spot you. We can't have them know we're in Japan."

In the skies, Naruto clenches his fist. His Pelican has yet to be spotted. Radar doesn't pick it up since it's been heavily modified for stealth roles just as much as combat, but being stuck up there to make sure everything goes well on the ground is starting to frustrate the blonde.

His eyes then catch something on the ground that makes his blood boil; a man hitting the school gates and a group of teachers confronting him. The teacher closes to the man moves to grab him and gets bitten before falling, dead, only to be surrounded by the other teachers.

Naruto's mind then races. __"Something is wrong. This isn't a normal infection… not even the Virals were like this."__ He continues to watch as the male teacher rises from his spot and grabs the female teacher and bites her neck. With a frustrated sigh, Naruto heads over to the pilots and says, "Take us down. Gray Team is active."

"Roger." The pilot says and the pelican tilts as its altitude lowers.

"Helghast Legionaries!" Naruto shouts and they stand in attention, their bodies seemingly ignoring the jerking of their dropship. "Ready for battle!"

"Ha-oh! Ha-oh! Ha-oh!"

Naruto watches as the female teacher suddenly runs in an astounding burst of speed and manages to tackle one of the other teachers into the school building via window.

****"Naruto, come in. This is Cortana. Channel is secure."****

"Speak."

****"I found something interesting. Do you want me to send it to you or do you want me to run you through it?"****

"Run me through." He says and checks the time in his bracer.

08:01 hours.

"I'm about to get busy."

****===== 08:05 | Fujimi Academy rooftop =====****

Three students make their way up the rooftop of their school, two males, one female, the girl having a pole, while one male has a bat.

The trio bursts through the door leading to the rooftop only to see that there were students unlucky enough to get there before them and turn. They run past lumbering infected and make their way to a still higher level near the end of the rooftop where they can remain out of reach.

Unfortunately for the girl, she makes the mistake of stabbing one infected through the heart as it lumbers after them up the few steps of stairs instead of striking it through the head. The infected grabs the pole and the girl is knocked back onto a wall to her left.

The teen without a weapon, a white-haired boy, grabs the bat from the other teen and whacks the infected in the head, killing it, before explaining to the girl that that was the way to take care of them.

Before the scene could progress any further, the three teens and the infected hear a rough humming and turn to look at the back building to see a jet powered ship lower itself. It turns to show its back to the building as dust and wind pick up before it opens and a ramp lowers.

Out steps a boy no older than the teens, perhaps even younger. He is dressed in a black military coat that flows freely in the wind. His combat boots making no sound as he steps off the ramp and onto the building. His short blonde hair rustles calmly, and his cerulean eyes, now devoid of their glow, scan the roof as if taking into account everything else. He is followed by two others dressed similarly to him, but the two wear helmets attached with a special full-faced respirator with orange glowing eyes that seem to darken the world around them.

"The rest of you, help out the others." The teen says and the Pelican leaves, its other eighteen Helghast Legionaries never leaving it.

The three armed men in black on the roof watch in amusement.

"Talk about easy mode, ey, boss?"

"Pfft! Yeah. Hell, those dudes back in Guam were far tougher than these dudes here." The two men joke while the man in the middle smiles.

"Do a sweep until the door that leads up here. I'll talk to the kids."

The two Helghasts' body language change from that of lax people to that of veterans ready for battle. The two unsling their suppressed SCAR rifles and make short work on their end.

The teen without a helmet on the other hand calmly makes his way to the trio on the still higher position and uses his spatha to cut off the heads of any infected stupid enough to get near him, which was pretty much all the other infected on his side.

When he finished, a strewn of decapitated bodies lie flat on the ground with brown blood seeping out from their sliced heads. He steps up the stairs only for the kid with the bat to hold him a glare and readies the bat threateningly.

"Who are you?" Takashi asks as he readies his bat.

Naruto smiles, his tone calm yet cheerful. "A dead man walking. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I believe there is someone that is bitten in your party?"

"What-"

In a burst of speed, Naruto jumps over the boy and lands with a swipe of his spatha cutting the bat off its handle missing the boy's hand by mere millimeters. "I have no time for your bullshit." He says and goes for the teen with the silver/grayish hair.

The girl moves to block him, but a simple glance with his eyes freezes her in place. "Know your place." He says commandingly before moving towards the teen known as Hisashi. "Show me your bite."

"What-"

"Do it or I kick you off the roof and you join the rest of the student body." Naruto says, his voice no longer holding its cheerful tone.

Hisashi looks to his friends for help only for the the blonde's eyes to narrow at him. With a sigh, he shows him the bide on his upper arm and Naruto rips the entire sleeve.

Takashi and Rei gasp as they see his entire upper arm sporting black veins.

"How long has it been since you were bitten?" Naruto asks as he examines Hisashi's eyes.

"Around a few minutes now."

Naruto clicks his tongue in annoyance. "So some were already infected inside the school… damn."

"What do you-"

"You'll turn in a few minutes. Do you want to die a human or as a zombie?"

"Zombie?"

Naruto groans. "YES! For fuck sake! Call them what they are! Or at least 'Infected', alright?! Sheesh, you kids have got one bad sense of originality."

"Are you bipolar?" Hisashi asks in confusion. One moment the man before him is serious, the next he's acting like a child smarter than his parents.

Naruto sighs and looks at him with a bored expression on his face. "Just answer the question?"

"But-"

"Nope, too late. Don't have time to deal with your bullshit." Naruto says with a shrug and turns to face the two other teens who glare at him. "You, missy, kill him before he turns."

"I won't kill my boyfriend!"

Naruto groans again as a chant starts up in his head. __"Dumb decision. Dumb decisions. Dumb decisions all around."__ The chant turns into a song as he looks at the other male teen, the one who nearly had his hands cut off. "You, kid with no balls, kill him."

"W-what? Why don't you do it?"

"TAKASHI! He's your friend!"

Naruto raises a brow before shrugging. "I don't have time for this." He says before grabbing the boy with no balls and drags him away while leaving his spatha in the hands of the girl. He then says while dragging the boy away, "Girl, either kill him or get killed."

Takashi grunts and pants as he is dragged down the stairs and is being brought over to where the two Helghast wait. "What the hell man? And I do have balls!"

"Blue balls, that's for sure." Naruto comments without a care and his troops laugh as he looks at the building across the front of the school. Flashes of light show through the windows showing that an interior sweep was still happening.

"Why do you have to be dick, huh?" Takashi grunts in annoyance. The reply he receives silences him.

"Because I have one."

The troops chuckle before one sighs and looks to the rooftop door. "It's clear for now. Should I ask for a status update"

"Please do." Naruto says with a wave of his hand and the Legionary gets to work.

"Black Team, this is Gray One, report."

****"Gray One, Black Leader, we are heading down via rappelling. Too many inside. Zero casualties on both my team and the support team."****

"Good. Clear as many as you can while you're at it. No unnecessary risks." He switches his attention to the building across the school's entrance and calls in. "White Team, this is Gray One, report."

Sounds of unmuffled gunfire cracks through the radio before a voice comes in. ****"Gray One, White Leader. Request assistance ASAP. EGO forces in building. Gray Team Support of six men are still alive and kicking, but we're pinned down."****

Naruto is then the one to speak. "Copy, White Leader. What floor are you on now?"

****"Third sir, but they have men covering the streets. It's weird, they aren't being attacked at all so long as they stand still."****

Naruto hums before nodding. "Very well. Black Team, head over to support." He receives confirmation before he turns to the two Helghast with him. "You two, sniping positions for five minutes. Clear out infected and EGO forces alike."

"Copy." Both say before they take their spots on the edge of the roof and start their one minute clean up.

"What are you?" Takashi asks with a raised brow only to stop after hearing a scream from Rei's location. "Rei!" He shouts and moves to rush over only for a hand to grab his shoulder and hold him in place.

"You kids are getting annoying." Naruto says plainly while keeping his eyes on where the shout came from.

Rei's form steps out, bloodied, but her hand still holding the sword.

"Kids?! You don't look any older!" Takashi scolds before being flung back onto the door that separates them from the rest of the building. His back lands with a thud and he gasps before falling, unable to do anything as the blonde approaches his friend. "Stop! Don't touch her!"

Naruto ignores him and walks up to the girl. "So… Rei, huh?"

The girls eyes are shadowed by her hair which is now disheveled and free flowing, her hair tie lost. She can feel Naruto's eyes roaming her, checking her, yet the feeling… was not uncomfortable. More of a man trying to see if she was hurt.

If she should die next.

"Don't worry… I'm not bitten." She manages to get out and moves to rub her eyes.

Naruto's hand stops her. "Unless you want to turn, I suggest you let me." Naruto says and uses his free hand to wipe her tears. "I'm not going to apologize." He says and brings her over to Takashi and his men. "You kids need to learn. Much of the world has been fighting these things for months now and yet only now do you get to experience it? Yeah, no, not gonna make things easy on you." He then takes his spatha and flicks the blood off. "I'll help you survive. What you do from then on will be up to you, but I won't waste my time with weaklings. Prove me right, and you just might live to see your family."

"Wait dammit! What happened up there Rei? And you!" Takashi points with a glare. "Who the hell are you?"

Naruto smirks. "The one who will right the wrongs of this world."

"Sir." One of the two Helghast speaks as he approaches. "You'll want to get out of sight. A flight of SDF helicopters are on their way. They aren't friendlies."

Naruto nods and a map pops up in the right side of his vision showing the flight heading for them. "ETA: twenty seconds. Black Team, how far down are you?" He starts as he, the two other teens, and his two Legionaries head down from the roof.

****"Third floor, sir."****

"Drop. SDF helicopters heading your way. Support white team. Stay out of any additional combat unless unavoidable."

****"Copy, Caesar."****

Naruto then unsheathes his spatha as he rounds a corner and cuts a head off an infected. He grins after seeing all the infected turn to him. His eyes glow blue for a second and his vision switches to a hybrid between x-ray and thermal vision.

That second was all he needed as he finally pieced something together. __"They're dead. Their bodies are cold and their hearts are hardly beating."__

He flicks his left arm and a titanium scutum materializes and he is joined by his two legionaries. They form a shield wall with the hall big enough to fit three of them. Four would have been ideal, but the undead here were far more tame than those Virals back in Guam so none of them saw any problem with it.

The three begin to systematically carve a path through the hall with Takashi and Rei keeping close, all the while watching in fascination on how three people could bring forth such destruction to these… zombies.

"Hey, kids, here the hell do we go from here? Outside is too crowded with them to out on foot." Naruto asks.

"The faculty room should be just a floor bellow us." Takashi replies all the while keeping his eyes on Rei.

Naruto nods before he slams his scutum on the ground dematerializing it. That makes the remaining zombies turn to him but something about that behavior catches his attention. He taps his legionaries who nod and stand in attention, their shields still out and ready. The blonde picks up a pen from one of the dead students and throws it.

The pen clatters bringing the attention of the zombies with it.

"Well now this is boring." Naruto says with a frustrated sigh. "Looks like they're blind, __and__ stupid." He says before walking past one in boredom. He makes it to the stairs and continues downward while his men shrug and follow.

Takashi would have made a shout of protest for leaving him and Rei alone only for Rei to stop him before he could even try. "No time Takashi. Let's just follow them." She says while her mind goes back to how thins went with Hisashi.

****===== Earlier on the rooftop with Rei and Hisashi =====****

Rei walks over to Hisashi who smiles at her. "It's okay, Rei. Do it. I want to go out like this. As a human."

"Hisashi, no! You're stronger than this!"

Hisashi smiles. "No, I can feel it. Please. Do it. Before I change."

Rei shakes her head. "No! I won't do it." Tears threaten for fall from her eye and Hisashi gives her a sad smile.

"Please. I don't want to turn into them. Please Rei?"

Rei backs away. "No! You'll survive this! I know you will. We'll find a cure and we'll be fine! We-"

"Rei!" Hisashi shouts before coughing up blood. "Dammit, just do it." He scolds her, his hair becoming disheveled. He looks her in the eyes, pleading, before he coughs again, this time with even more blood coming out. "Do it you WEAK BITCH!" He shouts before lunging for the sword and kicking Rei away and pulling her hair undoing her tie. He stabs himself through the throat and through the back of his skull to make sure he'd never turn.

"HISASHI!" Rei shouts and runs to get him, but he stumbles along and falls. The only thing she could even grab hold of was Naruto's spatha, and all she could do was watch as Hisashi's body fell into the reach of the undead on the school grounds below. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

****===== Present =====****

"You seem to have much on your mind." Naruto's voice cuts through her thoughts in a whisper. "I'm surprised you actually manage to make it here on autopilot you know. I thought you'd bump into one of them and get eaten or turned. Turns out you're lucky enough to survive that." He says, now his voice clearly from behind her.

Rei looks around and takes everything in. "The faculty?"

"Yup. Autopilot, like I said." Naruto replies with a tap to her shoulder. "I can guess what's going on in there, but that will have to wait." He says and heads over to Takashi and now, a few others.

First, Naruto heads over to the big boy with glasses. "I never got your name." Naruto says with a raised brow.

"Kouta, sir. Kouta Hirano"

Naruto nods. "Good man. You have balls. Becoming an instant killing machine with that nail gun? Yeah. Pity Takashi has bigger ones than you"

"Hey!" Kouta shouts in protest at that last comment.

Takashi on other hand has other thoughts racing through his head. One of them being, __"alright, take what I can get from that guy I suppose."__

"What do you mean by that exactly?!" Kouta shouts in outrage and embarrassment.

Naruto raises a brow. "What do you mean?" He points to himself and his legionaries and says, "You ran out of nails. I don't care. I'm not giving you a gun. You're also those types who says guns are better and blah-blah-blah. Well, now, you have no gun. Live with it."

"Woah, who the hell brought mister harsh-truth-bringer over here?" The pink-haired girl asks no one in particular all the while enjoying the show.

Naruto snorts. "Saya Takagi." He says making the girls eyes go wide. "Don't be so surprised." He waves her off."Besides, your smarts are worth jack shit in this situation. You may know stuff, but knowing won't help you survive if you won't be doing."

"Hey!" Saya shouts. "I'll have you know-"

Naruto raises a finger to her silencing her. "Shut up. Don't care. Prove me wrong if you think you can."

Rei and the two Helghasts simply look and listen on as Naruto continues.

"Saeko Busujima." The girl with purple hair says. She doesn't follow it up with anything making Naruto look at her quizzically.

The blonde teen gives her a smile. "Cute. I think I like you already." He says and then laughs as the girl blushes up a storm. He spares her no second glance and faces the nurse.

"Uh… um…" the nurse starts out, nervous, but Naruto's eyes glare at her.

"Shizuka Marikawa. Please, drop the act." Naruto says with a smile. He gets closer and utters a whisper. __"I'm sure the EGO would be happy to know that you were the one who manage to get this strain of the virus out, and on school grounds no less."__

Shizuka's eyes narrow before she smiles. "Well, you're right, I'm not stupid, but I usually am this cheerful." It is then her turn to whisper into his ear. __"So, you'll kill me now?"__

Naruto smirks smugly before backing away. "Let's wait out here for an hour. We'll use that coaster, but everyone better be well rested. We're going to be running."

Rei raises a brow and voices her thoughts on the matter. "Wow… is he always an ass?"

One Helghast chuckles before replying. "Nope. Probably just stressed at how things turned." The other one would have replied were it not for the status update given through their comms.

****"Gray Leader, Caesar, this is White Leader. EGO forces are withdrawing."****

Naruto looks to his men and nods. He steps to their corner so only they, and in this case Rei, can hear him. "Good. Secure vehicles. I don't want anymore shit to go down in possible."

****"Copy, Gray Leader. White Leader out."****

Naruto sighs before slumping into the corner, but his eyes harden as they lock with Shizuka's. "Time to get busy again."

****===== TBC =====****

****Finished on May 3, 2019| Philippines| 15:31 hours****

****Not yet proofread.****

**Rate and/or Review please!**


	6. Out of School, Into Hell

****Started on May 5, 2019| Philippines| 23:27 hours****

****Out of School, Into Hell****

"Time to get busy again." Naruto says, his eyes locked with Shizuka's. "Marikawa-sensei, please, walk with me." He says before heading for the door.

"Marikawa-sensei wait-" Saya calls out only for a Helghast to place an hand on her shoulder. "What are-"

"It's best you stay out of this." He says and looks to his brother. "Let's keep them inside."

The other one nods before taking a seat by the door where Naruto waits, face blank of any emotion although his eyes show impatience.

Shizuka smiles at Saya and pats her on the head. "I'm a grown woman, I can take care of myself."

Saya groans at those words. "It's precisely because you're you I don't-"

"Shh…" Shizuka lets out with a smile and a wink. "That was all a front." She then places an arm around Naruto's and smiles. "This man," she pauses as she traces his chest, "saw right through me and my act."

While all this was happening, Takashi had different thoughts in his mind. __"First, how did that guy know her name? Each of us had to introduce ourselves to him or mention the other's name."__ Here he looks to the soldiers. __"These guys look nothing like the SDF. Something's going on but best I play along for a bit." __His brow then raises and he looks out into the sea of undead. __"And where the hell did I get all these thoughts? Why do I feel smarter than even Saya-chan now?"__

Takashi's musings aside, the two blondes nod in thanks to the Helghast and start to walk the halls of the level they are on.

Once they are a few feet away from the door, Naruto decides to speak. "Care to explain what an EGO scientist like you is doing in a school?"

Shizuka smiles. "Come now, Naruto-kun, do you really want me to-"

"My men were attacked by EGO forces, Shizuka." Naruto replies sharply. "They must have known you were nearby but not exactly where you are, so give me one good reason why I shouldn't just feed you to your kids."

"Because I created the strain with the intent of making a cure."

"Stupid." Naruto says in annoyance. "Humans are always stupid."

Shizuka smiles. "I'll agree with that." She then stops and looks out one of the windows and frowns. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Unfortunately it did, and I can't change that. I left EGO for a reason, uh… Naruto, right?"

The male blonde nods.

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

He snorts. "If you're really sorry, you need to tell me how this outbreak even started. How it even got inside this school and how it had spread itself so quickly."

Shizuka nods with a sad smile. "Very well. It happened because one of the students tried to harass me. Guess what was the closest defensive weapon I could get?"

"Out of all the stupid fucking reasons…" He groans out before sighing in resignation. "You're still stupid, but whatever. What's done is done."

"Ehehehe…"

"So, what about these runners?"

"Huh?"

Naruto looks her in the eye and says, "I saw runners, Shizuka. That female teacher who turned, she was a runner. The rest are slow, dumb, stupid, but I don't think that teacher who turned into a runner is any of that."

"That's impossible. My creation was meant to be a cure, but when it went haywire, all that came out were slower ones, dumber ones as you say, but they're also stronger than normal."

Naruto's eyes narrow at that before nodding. "Let's go back. I-" He stops mid-sentence, eyes narrowed at the feeling in his gut. He turns 180 and glares at the end of the hallway. "Shizuka, run back to the faculty room."

"What-"

"Now or I'll kill you." He says and a yelp from his fellow blonde is all he needs as he raises his SCAR.

It starts out as a low growling, animalistic, and Naruto shifts his weight as he steps forward, his steps ever so silent.

****"Boss, you alright out there?"****

"We'll see. Take care of them." He mumbles before looking at one of the corpses and kneels down beside it. "Cortana, can you do a remote analysis of this virus?"

****"Gee, Naruto, the most advance AI can't even do that?"****

"Hey, I don't know everything about you just like you don't know everything about me." Naruto replies as he touches the blood of one of the corpses, his fingertips making contact and glowing blue. "Do you have it?"

****"Yeah, got it, thanks cutie."****

Naruto raises a brow at that. "Cutie? Where the fuck did that come from?"

****"What, can't a girl call a guy cute?"****

"Not what I meant, but busy so I'll call you back." Naruto replies, all but disregarding his AI friend. He lowers his weapon as the growling stops. "Odd…" He mutters out before shrugging and turning on his heels to head back to the faculty room.

Ten steps later, he spins and does a slicing motion with his spatha.

A soft thud follows.

"So it really isn't dumb." Naruto mutters to himself as he looks at the decapitated body of the female teacher. "Either the virus is mutating or things are going back to what they were…"

****"Gray Leader, this is Black leader. White Team and Black Team await your instructions. We're on the ground floor just across the front gates of the school. EGO forces have retreated, unable to pursue."****

"Copy, ready to advance. They're on easy mode but you never know if there are special ones mixed in. Eyes open, guns at the ready. Advance on my word."

****"Copy Gray Leader."****

Naruto makes his way to the faculty room and once arriving the door is opened to see everyone present. "Sorry guys, we're leaving earlier than planed. Let's go."

"We can take the coast-"

"No, we're walking." Naruto says with a tone of finality. "Unless you want to get into any unnecessary trouble, you stay on foot."

Takashi sighs. "Uh… Naruto-san?" He calls out. "I don't think we'll be able to walk. We're all still pretty tired and-"

"Those things won't care, Takashi." Naruto says, his voice stern. "Now, we can get out of here ASAP my way, or take your way in which I'm leaving you."

"And where will we go, exactly?" Rei asks, her eyes hardened.

__"As to be expected of someone who has lost someone dear."__ Naruto thinks to himself before nodding. "We'll head for the safest known location in the city."

"And where is that supposed to be exactly?" Saya asks, her tone sarcastic. "Look, all of us just want to see our parents. But I guess you wouldn't understand, huh?"

Naruto smiles. "Listen here you little twat." He taps his forearm bracer and a hologram appears showing pictures. "You see that? Those thing are what lie outside Japan; and they aren't even the worst things that go on outside. The world went to shit long before, and the government never did anything to stop it." He closes the hologram and doesn't even care to look at the look of horror plastered on their faces. "Now, I want out of here before any of the damn Z's mutate into those shits."

"But why can't we leave later?"

Naruto looks at them before looking at the sun; it was now noon.

__"Because if there is one thing you should do more than run, it's to fear the night."__ He mutters to himself before nodding. "Because there is a war going on, far greater than even this battle between the living and the undead."

****"Naruto, come in."****

"Go ahead Cortana." He says while heading to the door.

****"I did some background check on some EGO members in Japan. There are two in that school you're in."****

"Speak to me; I've only met one." Naruto says before leaving. He shouts back to the group and says, "I'm leaving with or without you, your choice!" His two Helghast shrug before following after him.

****"The guy's name is Koichi Shidou, a teacher. His public appearance as a kind teacher is something of a problem if you were to apprehend him. He also has followers both in and out of the government, not to mention in the student body."****

"Well, what can you tell me about a Shizuka Marikawa?" Naruto asks, he arrives at a set of stairs that head down to the floor below them.

As Cortana begins to explain, Naruto makes short work of all the infected around him, his men following his example. ****"Shizuka Marikawa? Okay, wait… got it. So, this blonde bimbo, let's be honest, she is; is a… oh, former EGO scientist. Former, huh? Makes you wonder why… oh, it says here she tried to make a cure for the virus, but when she made a stronger variant by accident, she wanted to destroy the results. Her attempt failed and EGO wanted to weaponize it. Interesting."****

"Any connection with her and Shidou?" Naruto asks while stabbing an infected through the gut with his spatha before using his gladius to cut the head off.

****"Ooh la la."****

"Focus, Cortana."

****"Right, well, it seems like she knows who Shidou is, while the man himself has simply been trying to get into any girl's pants. Disgusting."****

"You'd be saying something else if it were me."

****"Don't flatter yourself. That aside, I'm blind out here. Any attempt at trying to get a satellite feed would alert all EGO forces to our location and we'll pretty much be sitting ducks. You won't be able to receive any reinforcements should you need them."****

Naruto shrugs. "Well, update me as soon as you can make a secure contact with Shikamaru and Shisui."

****"You're the man. Anything else?"****

"Yeah, tell the Pelicans to bring cannons next time. Bitches love cannons."

****"You seem to be expecting them some time soon."****

Naruto smiles. He chooses not to reply and instead radios in his teams outside. "Black team, White team, the rest of Gray team, advance towards the school gates. Do a clean sweep of the area if you would be so kind?"

The teams reply in chorus. ****"Orders acknowledged, Hail Caesar!"****

The next few minutes are spent with Naruto making his way to the front door before kicking it open just in time to hear an echo of metal clanging against metal from the stairs behind him. It is then followed by a scream.

"RUUUUUUN!"

Naruto sighs as he looks back to see the teens he was with earlier running for the door. He takes a step to the side and allows them to pass, their destination being the school coaster.

He radios in his men with a sigh. "All weapons free, suppressors off."

****"Copy, Caesar."****

As soon as those words were uttered, everyone in the school hears a hail of gunfire before a clang from metal breaking resounds throughout the school grounds.

"WAIT!" A man shouts as he and more students burst from the school's front door.

Naruto clicks his tongue in disgust after quickly matching the mans face to that of Shidou from the information that Cortana sent him. "Let's go. I want nothing to do with him."

"Should we not just kill him now, sir?" One of his men with him asks.

"Not yet. Plus, he might lead us back to an EGO base." Naruto replies calmly as he and his men make his way towards the rest of the Helghast units stationed just outside the gate. As they do so, the blonde keeps an eye out on the teacher. Once arriving with his men, he nods in satisfaction. "He has no idea who we are. That's a good thing." He says to his men in a muffled tone as the sound of gunfire returns to their suppressed bursts.

"Sir, no losses so far." A Helghast says as he steps in sync with Naruto.

"Good. Fan them out. I want no surprises."

****"Naruto, we have a bit of a problem."**** Cortana says over the radio. ****"I just received an alert that a satellite is about to lock in on your position."****

Naruto hums before smiling. "Time to play a game."

"What do you have in mind, boss?"

Naruto opens his tacmap and grins. "Police station is five kilometers out. Ready for a hike, gents?"

The Helghast laugh. "More like a race."

If possible, Naruto's grin only widens in glee. "No restrictions."

The men chuckle before they tap their left bracer and their rifles bursts into a cloud of nanobots and form as claws on their gloves.

"Go."

****===== South Korea | Busan =====****

A woman stands inside a room located underground, the room having screens showing thirty one figures moving through the streets of Japan faster than any human is supposedly capable of moving.

"There you are, Caesar." She says, her black black eyes scanning his every movement. "What are you, really?" Shes asks no one in particular before the sound of boots disrupt her. "Time to go." She says before her body fades out of existence.

On the surface, not three minutes later, an explosion rocks the city that is already filled with the dead.

"Mary, get me a flight to Japan." The woman says from the top of a building.

****"Already on it's way, Miss Uchiha."****

The woman nods before watching as a black hawk closes in on her. "Is that the bird?"

****"Uh… no…"****

The woman smiles. "Well, guess the fun never stops."

****===== TBC =====****

****Finished on May 12, 2019| Philippines| 08:02 hours.****

****Not yet proofread.****


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